JP2007310871A - Ordering support system, ordering support device, apparatus monitoring device, ordering support method, apparatus monitoring method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ordering support system, an ordering support device, an apparatus monitoring device, an ordering support method, an apparatus monitoring method, and a program for simplifying supply work of a consumable to an apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: This ordering support system is provided with the apparatus monitoring device and the ordering support device. The apparatus monitoring device acquires apparatus information about an apparatus connected to a network and a consumable status information, and from the consumable status information, determines shortage of the consumable, and transmits the apparatus information and the status information about the consumable determined to be depleted to the ordering support device. The ordering support device receives the apparatus information and the status information about the consumable determined to be depleted, generates an electronic mail including a URL showing a Web page for ordering the consumable concerning the status information, and transmits the electronic mail to a mail address previously registered in association with the apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ordering support system, an ordering support device, an equipment monitoring device, an ordering support method, an equipment monitoring method, and a program, and more particularly to an ordering support system, an ordering support device, an equipment monitoring device, and an ordering support system for ordering consumables for equipment. The present invention relates to a support method, a device monitoring method, and a program.

  A company office is connected to a plurality of devices such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine that realizes these functions in a single housing via a network.

  All of the above-mentioned devices are provided with consumables that are consumed by using the device, and their functions are maintained by appropriately replacing the consumables. For example, in the case of a printer, toner, a fixing unit, a waste toner bottle, a photoconductor, a developer, or the like is equivalent, and these are generally called supplies.

Since it is difficult to identify the consumption level of the supply from the outside of the device, the user recognizes that the toner has run out when the printing is instructed and an error is notified, and the toner is replaced. In order to reduce such work by the user, a technology that detects the life of the supply inside the device, displays information about the supply on the operation panel and prints on paper, and a signal that indicates that the device itself needs to replace the supply. A technique has been proposed in which maintenance personnel are sent to the office where the equipment is installed.
JP-A-10-198236 JP 2003-245560 A

  However, even if the life of the supply is detected, if the user himself or herself performs subsequent supply ordering or supply replacement, the ordering procedure must be performed after accurately confirming the model number of the supply to be replaced. For this reason, the user is forced to perform complicated work before ordering the supply. In addition, even when it is desired to place an order first, there is also a problem that the orderable time depends on the business hours of the business office of the ordering party depending on the business day, business hours, etc. of the ordering party. Furthermore, in the case of an ordering system that dispatches maintenance personnel, there is a problem that costs such as labor costs and delivery costs increase.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is an ordering support system, an ordering support apparatus, an equipment monitoring apparatus, an ordering support method, and an equipment monitoring method capable of simplifying the supply work of equipment consumables. And to provide a program.

  Therefore, in order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention acquires device information of a device connected to a network and state information of consumables, determines the shortage of consumables from the state information of the consumables, and is determined to be insufficient. A device monitoring device that transmits device information related to the consumables and status information of the consumables to the ordering support device; device information related to the consumables determined to be insufficient and the status information are received; And an order support device that creates an e-mail in which a URL indicating a Web page for ordering goods is described and transmits the e-mail to a registered e-mail address associated in advance with the device.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention acquires device information of devices connected to a network and status information of consumables and transmits the device information to the ordering support device, the device information, and the status information. To determine the shortage of consumables from the status information of the consumable, create an e-mail in which a URL indicating a web page for ordering consumables related to the consumable determined to be shortage is described, The order support apparatus transmits to a mail address registered in advance associated with the device.

  Such an ordering support system can simplify the replenishment work of the consumables of the equipment.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ordering support system, an ordering support apparatus, an equipment monitoring apparatus, an ordering support method, an equipment monitoring method, and a program that can simplify the replenishment work of equipment consumables.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ordering support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the order support system 1 includes an order support server 10, a client PC 20, devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, and the like (hereinafter, collectively referred to as “device 30”) as components. The ordering support server 10 is installed at an ordering site (supplier of the consumables of the device 30, for example, the manufacturer of the device 30), and the client PC and the device 30 are connected to the user site (the user side of the device 30, for example, the office). Etc.). The order support server 10 and the client PC 20 are connected by a wide area network such as the Internet. Further, the client 20 and the device 30 are connected via a network (whether wired or wireless) such as a LAN (Local Area Network) provided at the user site.

  The device 30 is, for example, a device (image forming apparatus) that forms an image by consuming toner, ink, or the like, such as a general printer or a multifunction device. In the present embodiment, the device 30 corresponds to MIB (Management Information Base), and can respond to an MIB information acquisition request received via a network based on SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). is there. In the present embodiment, the device 30 can detect the status information of the consumables. The status information may be qualitative (normal / near end / end) or quantitative (100%, 90%,... 10%, 0%). .

  The client PC 20 is a general-purpose computer, and the monitoring program 21 is installed. The monitoring program 21 may be installed from a recording medium 502 such as a CD-ROM, or may be downloaded via a network. As will be described later, in the present embodiment, it is downloaded via the network 40.

  The monitoring program 21 is loaded into the memory of the client PC 20 and processed by the CPU, thereby causing the client PC 20 to execute the following functions. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure of processing that the monitoring program causes the client PC to execute.

  The client PC 20 periodically acquires device information (MIB information) from each device 30 based on the monitoring program 21 (S301). The device information includes information (status information) for identifying the status of the consumables used by the device 30, for example, toner status and total counter value (total number of printed sheets). In addition, information indicating the state of other consumables, specifically, a fixing unit, a waste toner bottle, a photoconductor, a developer, or the like may be included. As a result of the acquisition, when the status information of the consumables included in the device information is qualitative information (that is, normal / near end / end) (“qualitative information” in S302), near end or end information (hereinafter, “ (Generally referred to as “end”) (Yes in S303), it is determined that the consumable is insufficient (S304), and the device information of the device 30 is transmitted to the ordering support server 10 (S305). On the other hand, as a result of acquiring the device information, if the state information is quantitative information (that is, 100%, 90%,... 10%, 0%) (“quantitative information” in S302), a predetermined information It is checked whether it is below the threshold (30% or less) (S306), and if it is below (Yes in S306), it is determined that the consumable is insufficient (S304), and the device information of the device 30 is stored in the ordering support server 10. (S305).

  In this embodiment, an example in which the monitoring device 20 detects a shortage of consumables will be described. However, the order support server 10 may perform the detection. In this case, the monitoring device 20 transmits the device information of all the devices 30 to the ordering support server 10. Therefore, from the viewpoint of reducing the network load, it is preferable to transmit only the device information of the device whose shortage is detected by the monitoring device 20 to the ordering support server 10 as in the present embodiment.

  The client PC 20 is also installed with a mailer for sending and receiving e-mails, a web browser for browsing web pages, and the like.

  The ordering support server 10 is a general-purpose computer, has a function as a Web server, and has an ordering support program 11 installed. The order support program 11 may be installed from a recording medium 501 such as a CD-ROM, or may be downloaded via a network.

  The order support program 11 is loaded into the memory of the order support server 10 and processed by the CPU, thereby causing the order support server 10 to execute the following functions. In other words, based on the order support program 11, the e-mail creating means of the order support server 10 promotes the supply of the missing consumables (hereinafter referred to as “supply”) based on the device information received from the client PC 20. An e-mail to be created is sent to a pre-registered user's e-mail address. The e-mail describes the URL for the supply ordering Web page (hereinafter referred to as “supply ordering page”) determined to be insufficient. The order support server 10 also returns a supply order page in response to an HTTP request transmitted based on the click of the URL, and further receives a supply order request based on the supply order page. In response to the supply order request, the order support server 10 transmits a supply order instruction to an article order management system (not shown).

  Incidentally, the present inventor is considering the construction of a new business model using the order support system 1. First, the background that led to the construction of the business model will be described.

  In general, the image forming apparatus is sold through various sales channels such as an agency and a contact store. Hereinafter, a supplier that purchases a product (image forming apparatus) from a manufacturer and sells it directly to a customer is referred to as a “seller”. In addition to selling the image forming apparatus as hardware to the distributor, it provides a solution according to the customer as an added value, such as SI work for causing the image forming apparatus to function in the solution. Includes those that do business. These distributors mainly generate profits from sales of image forming apparatuses as hardware, profits from software based on SI work, and the like.

  On the other hand, an image forming apparatus has a characteristic that even after being sold once, the profit can be continuously obtained by the continuous sale of the supply, and the profit is generally more than the profit by the sale of the image forming apparatus. Is also big. Conventionally, however, a customer (user) generally purchases a supply through a mass retailer, mail order, or the like without purchasing a device after purchasing the device. Therefore, the dealer who sold the image forming apparatus cannot obtain a continuous profit from the supply of the image forming apparatus.

  Here, it is assumed that a certain dealer sells image forming apparatuses of manufacturer A and manufacturer B. If an image forming apparatus of manufacturer A is sold, if the profit from the sale of the supply of the image forming apparatus is returned to the seller, the distributor will be more interested in the manufacturer than the image forming apparatus of manufacturer B. An incentive to sell more image forming apparatuses of A works. As a result, an increase in sales of the product of manufacturer A can be expected, and manufacturer A can be expected to achieve a competitively superior differentiation from manufacturer B.

  Therefore, the present inventor has devised a mechanism for returning profits from sales of supplies to sellers as a new business model. In the present embodiment, an example in which the order support system 1 is applied to the business model will be described.

  Hereinafter, the processing procedure of the order support system 1 of FIG. 1 will be described. A user who purchases the device 30 from a dealer concludes a registration contract for the order support system 1 with the dealer. The user who has concluded the registration contract first performs user registration as shown in FIG. As will become clear from the following description, the user can expect to reduce the cost of supply replenishment work by using the order support system 1. That expectation is an incentive for the user to conclude the registration contract.

  FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining a processing procedure at the time of user registration in the ordering support system. In FIG. 3, the Web browser 22 is a general-purpose Web browser installed on the client PC 20. The mailer 23 is a general-purpose mailer installed on the client PC 20.

  First, the user obtains an ID (hereinafter referred to as “access ID”) for accessing the ordering support server 10 and a URL of the ordering support server 10 at the time of the registration contract from the seller, and the URL is sent to the Web browser. 22 is input. When the access ID is requested in response to the URL input, and the access ID is properly input, a web page for user registration (hereinafter referred to as “user registration page”) is received from the ordering support server 10. It is transmitted to the Web browser 22 (S11). The web browser 22 that has received the user registration page displays the user registration page.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the user registration page. In the description of FIG. 4, the numbers in parentheses correspond to the reference numbers in the figure. As shown in FIG. 4, in the user registration page 220, the user's name (221), postal code (222), address (223), company name (224), department name (225), telephone number (226) are displayed. In addition to basic information such as FAX number (227), e-mail address (228), user ID (229) and password (230), the postal code, address, company name of the delivery destination of the supply when ordering the supply, And the department name (231) and the seller ID (232) can be input. Here, the dealer ID is the ID of the dealer with whom the user has concluded the registration contract, and is notified from the dealer at the time of the registration contract.

  When the user inputs necessary items on the user registration page 220 and clicks the registration button 233, the Web browser 22 transmits an HTTP request for requesting user registration to the ordering support server 10 (S12). The HTTP request includes input information to the user registration page 220 (hereinafter referred to as “user information” including the seller ID).

  When receiving the HTTP request, the order support program 11 of the order support server 10 registers the user information included in the HTTP request in a predetermined database (hereinafter referred to as “user database”) (S13). Subsequently, when the ordering support program 11 transmits a Web page (hereinafter referred to as “download page”) including a link to the download destination URL of the monitoring program 21 to the Web browser 22 as an HTTP response, the Web browser 22 downloads the download page. Is displayed (S14). In this embodiment, the download page is requested by an HTTP request, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the order support program 11 may send a link to the URL of the download destination by e-mail together with the user ID and password. Of course, the information may be sent by FAX or mail.

  When the user clicks the download destination URL on the download page, the Web browser 22 transmits a download request for the monitoring program 21 to the ordering support server 10 (S15). In response to the request, the order support program 11 transfers the installation package of the monitoring program 21 stored in the order support server 10 to the client PC 20 (S16).

  When the user installs the monitoring program 21 based on the downloaded installation package, the monitoring program 21 starts operating on the client PC 20 (S17). When the monitoring program 21 is installed, the same user ID and password as those used during user registration are input by the user on the installation screen. The input user ID and password are encrypted and stored by the monitoring program 21.

  First, the monitoring program 21 searches for the devices 30 connected to the network 50 (S18), and information (for example, device serial numbers, MAC addresses, model names, vendor names (device manufacturers) (Hereinafter referred to as “search device information”) is transmitted to the ordering support server 10 (S19). The search for the device 30 on the network 50 and the acquisition of the search device information can be performed using a known technique.

  The ordering support program 11 registers the received search device information in a predetermined database (hereinafter referred to as “device database”) (S20), and displays a list of search device information (hereinafter referred to as “search device list page”). Is sent to the monitoring program 21 (S21).

  The monitoring program 21 activates the Web browser 22 using the received URL as an argument (S22). When activated, the Web browser 22 transmits an HTTP request for requesting a search device list page to the ordering support server 10 based on the URL specified in the argument (S23). In response to the received HTTP request, the order support program 11 generates a search device information list page based on the search device information registered in step S20, and returns the search device information list page to the Web browser 22 ( S24).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the search device list page. In the description of FIG. 5, the numbers in parentheses correspond to the reference numbers in the figure. As shown in FIG. 5, the search device list page 240 displays a serial number, a MAC address, an IP address, a model name, a vendor name, and the like for each searched device 30. The search device list page 240 further includes a column (241) for inputting an arrangement location for each device 30 and a check for selecting whether or not to be monitored by the monitoring program 21 (monitoring necessity). A button (242) is provided. That is, the user selects an arrangement location and necessity of monitoring for each device 30 on the search device list page 240. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that when a check button is checked, it is selected as a monitoring target.

  When the user selects the input of the location of each device 30 and whether or not monitoring is required on the search device list page 240 and clicks the send button 243, the Web browser 22 displays the location of each device 30 and the necessity of monitoring. An HTTP request for requesting registration of “No” is transmitted to the ordering support server 10. The order support program 11 additionally registers the location of each device 30 and the necessity of monitoring in the device database based on the received HTTP request (S26). Here, in this embodiment, the arrangement location is input. However, in order to assist the user in exchanging consumables, the user may freely input a comment.

  Thus, the process at the time of user registration ends. Note that the monitoring program 21 may add a device to be monitored other than at the time of installation, for example, by registering device search information and displaying a search device list page by a user's menu selection.

  Next, a processing procedure of the ordering support system 1 when the status of the device 30 is periodically monitored by the monitoring program installed in the client PC 20 will be described. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining a processing procedure during device monitoring in the ordering support system.

  When the device status monitoring time is reached, the monitoring program 21 inquires the order support server 11 for a list of devices 30 (hereinafter referred to as “monitoring devices”) to be monitored (S101). The ordering support program 11 lists monitoring devices based on the necessity of monitoring registered in the device database, and returns the list (monitoring device list) to the monitoring program 21 (102). In addition to the device status monitoring time, the monitoring program 21 may perform device monitoring by, for example, user menu selection.

  The monitoring program 21 receives the monitoring device list and inquires MIB information as device information to the devices 30 included in the monitoring device list based on SNMP (S103). The MIB information to be inquired includes at least toner status information, and may also include other supply status information. Each device 30 returns the MIB information to be inquired to the monitoring program 21 (S104).

  In the implementation of the present invention, the device information is not necessarily limited to MIB information, and the protocol for inquiring device information is not limited to SNMP, but the vendor of each device 30 differs by using a standardized technique. However, it is preferable to use standard techniques such as MIB and SNMP from the viewpoint that device information can be acquired by the same procedure.

  When the acquisition (polling) of device information from all the monitoring devices is completed, the monitoring program 21 determines whether or not to perform a shortage notification based on the device information (S105). That is, as described with reference to FIG. 2, when the acquired state information is qualitative information (that is, normal / near end / end), near end or end information (hereinafter collectively referred to as “end”). Is acquired, it is determined that the consumable item is insufficient, and device information of the device 30 is transmitted to the ordering support server 10 (S106). As a result, if the status information is quantitative information (that is, 100%, 90%,... 10%, 0%), it is checked whether it is below a predetermined threshold (30% or less) If it is lower, it is determined that the consumable is insufficient, and the device information of the device 30 is transmitted to the ordering support server 10 (S106). Further, the shortage of supply includes deterioration of functions due to continuous use of the supply. The information transmitted here is hereinafter referred to as “shortage notification information”.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the shortage notification information. In FIG. 7, the shortage notification information includes header information and device information.

  The header information includes date and time, user ID, password, and the like. The date and time is the date and time when device information is transferred. The user ID and password are a user ID and password that are input and stored when the monitoring program 21 is installed. That is, the header information is not information acquired from the device 30.

  The device information is synonymous with the device information described above. In other words, the information is acquired as MIB information from the device 30, and the vendor name, model name (information for specifying the device 30), serial number, MAC address, IP address, toner ID (toner bottle) Information for specifying, if color, toner ID is assigned for each color, and if monochrome, one is assigned), toner name, toner status, toner level, toner name (character string), toner name ( Code) and a total counter value. These are defined as public MIB (standard MIB), and are information that can be acquired from any device regardless of the vendor.

  The toner status is information indicating a toner state. The total counter value is information indicating the total number of printed sheets. Therefore, the monitoring program 21 detects the toner end based on the toner status. Further, the degree of wear of the photoconductor, the fixing unit, the developer, and the like is determined based on the total count value. However, with the toner status in the standard MIB, it is not possible to specify the color of the toner that has ended.

  Therefore, the device information in the present embodiment further includes a monochrome counter value, a color counter value, a cyan counter value, a magenta counter value, a black counter value, a red counter value, and the like. These are uniquely defined as a private MIB (extended MIB).

  For example, in the present embodiment, if only the device 30 of the manufacturer A supports these extended MIBs, these values are stored in the device information for the device 30 of the manufacturer A, but the manufacturer A These values are empty in the device information for the other devices 30.

  For example, the monochrome counter value is the number of printed sheets by monochrome printing. The color counter value is the number of printed sheets by color printing. Further, the cyan counter value, the magenta counter value, the black counter value, and the red counter value are the number of printed sheets using the toner of each color. Therefore, if it is the apparatus 30 of the manufacturer A, it becomes possible to detect the end for every color.

  In the present embodiment, the information described in FIG. 7 is notified as insufficient information, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information to be notified is appropriately determined as necessary.

  Note that the shortage notification information illustrated in FIG. 7 is transmitted to the order support program 11 for each of the devices 30 for which any supply shortage is detected.

  The ordering support program 11 that has received the shortage notification information identifies the shortage supply based on the shortage notification information and determines whether or not to notify the user of the shortage (S107). Although details of this determination process will be described later, since it is considered that the shortage notification information is transmitted in duplicate, it is a process for preventing the shortage notification from being repeated for the user. .

  If it is determined that the shortage notification information is not duplicated, the ordering support program 11 generates a Web page for ordering the missing supply (hereinafter referred to as “ordering page”), and the supply is insufficient. Is created and sent to the user's email address (S108). The URL of the ordering page is described in the shortage notification mail. Each shortage notification mail is given an ID (hereinafter referred to as “mail ID”), together with the mail ID, for identifying the device 30 such as the serial number of the device 30 that is the subject of the shortage notification mail. Information, information for identifying a user such as a user ID or a mail address, transmission date and time, and the like are stored as a transmission history of the shortage notification mail.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification mail. In the notification mail 250 shown in FIG. 8, the character string enclosed in <> is not a specific value, but indicates the content of the information described at the relevant location.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the mail address of the user related to the shortage notification information is designated as the destination of the shortage notification mail 250. The user's email address may be specified by searching the user database using the user ID and password included in the shortage notification information as keys. This is because an email address is registered in the user database together with a user ID and a password at the time of user registration.

  The title of the shortage notification mail 250 describes a title indicating that the mail is a shortage notification mail. The body of the shortage notification mail 250 describes information related to the device related to the shortage notification information, information related to the shortage of supply, URL of the ordering page, and the like.

  The information related to the device includes the vendor name, model name, and location of the device. These pieces of information may be acquired from the device database using the serial number, MAC address, or IP address included in the shortage notification information as a key. In addition, for example, if the supply is toner, the information regarding the shortage supply includes a toner status, a toner ID, a toner name, and the like included in the shortage notification information.

  In addition, when a plurality of supplies in one device 30 are simultaneously short, a mail including information indicating a shortage of the plurality of supplies is created in one shortage notification mail 250, and the shortage of the plurality of supplies is notified. The

  A user who has viewed the shortage notification mail 250 by the mailer 23 in the client PC 20 can recognize the shortage of supply even when printing or the like is not being executed. In addition, it is possible to easily identify the location of the equipment 30 related to the shortage.

  When the user clicks on the URL of the ordering page described in the shortage notification mail 250, the mailer 23 activates the Web browser 22 with the clicked URL as an argument. When activated, the Web browser 22 transmits an HTTP request for requesting an ordering page based on the URL specified in the argument to the ordering support server 10 (S109). In response to the received HTTP request, the order support program 11 returns an order page to the Web browser 22 (S110). The web browser 22 displays the received ordering page.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the ordering page. 9, the order page 260 displays information (manufacturer (vendor) name, model name, serial number, and remarks (arrangement position)) regarding devices for which supplies are insufficient in the area 261. Also, the area 262 is displayed. In addition, in the area 262, a list of various supplies corresponding to the device is displayed, and each order can be ordered. The product name (name) is displayed, and the quantity to be purchased can be input, and as indicated by reference numeral 2621, the necessary quantity is input in advance and displayed for the missing supply. In addition, each product name has a link to a Web page that displays a summary description of the product. Past purchase history of over The is displayed. Thus, it is possible to prevent the user will purchase a duplicate.

  The purchase history is registered for each user in the user database. That is, when a product is ordered via the order page 260, information on the ordered product is additionally registered in the user database.

  Incidentally, the ordering page 260 in FIG. 9 is notified that the yellow toner is insufficient. As described above, the missing toner color cannot be specified by the standard MIB alone. Therefore, the ordering page 260 in FIG. 9 shows a result determined based on information registered in the extended MIB. In this way, manufacturers that deploy the ordering support system 1 can differentiate themselves from other companies in the services on the ordering support system 1 by means of the extended MIB that they define. That is, if the toner end of the device 30 of another company is detected, the order page 260 is not specified and notified until the color. Note that the supply of the device 30 of the other company may be excluded from the ordering target by the ordering support system 1 in the first place, but in consideration of the convenience of the user, in this embodiment, the supply of the supply of the device 30 of the other company is considered. Ordering is also possible.

  When the user clicks the order button 2622 on the order page 260, the Web browser 22 transmits an HTTP request for requesting the order of the product to the order support server 10 (S111).

  In response to the HTTP request, the order support program 11 records information for providing a part of the profit based on the order request to the seller associated with the user (S112). Specifically, a database (hereinafter referred to as a “seller database”) that manages the sales of supplies by the order support system 1 is constructed for each orderer, and the sales of the seller database depend on the current ordering. The contents of the order (for example, the order amount) are recorded. Note that the seller creates an entry in the seller database by concluding a contract for participation in the order support system 1 with the manufacturer. Also, a seller ID is given, and the seller is identified on the ordering support system 1 by the seller ID. In step S112, for example, the identification of the user related to the received HTTP request is performed by associating the session ID with the Web browser 22 and the user ID, and specifying the user ID from the session ID based on the association. You can do that.

  The ordering support program 11 further instructs the article ordering management system to instruct the ordering. This instruction includes information on the delivery destination registered in the user database. When the order is instructed to the article ordering support system, the ordered product is actually delivered to the user. Further, when the purchase price is paid by the user, it is recorded in the seller database that the sales based on the current order are confirmed. By determining whether or not sales, the manufacturer may be provided with allowances such as sales promotion money from the manufacturer according to the sales.

  Next, details of the process of step S107 in FIG. 6 will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a process for determining whether or not to send a shortage notification mail. Again, the significance of the processing will be described.

  The monitoring program 21 periodically inquires device information from each device 30 and determines a shortage of supply based on the device information. As a result of the determination, when the supply shortage is detected, the monitoring program 21 transmits shortage notification information to the order support program 11. In such a mechanism, for example, when a supply whose deficiency has already been detected is not replaced within the period of the inquiry by the monitoring program 21, the monitoring program 21 again detects the shortage of the supply for the same device 30. End up. In addition, for example, for toner, a toner end may be detected when toner remains in the toner bottle. In such a case, if the same toner bottle is attached again after the user shakes the toner bottle, the toner end may be detected again for the same toner after a while. In such a case, it is conceivable that duplicate notifications are transmitted to the user, and if the user is not aware of the duplicate, he / she places a duplicate order. Therefore, in order to avoid the occurrence of such a situation, the ordering support system 11 performs the following processing.

  First, based on the serial number of the device 30 included in the shortage notification information received from the monitoring program 21, the date and time of the shortage notification email last transmitted (previous) with respect to the device 30 from the transmission history of the shortage notification email. Is checked (S201).

  When the transmission history does not include the transmission record of the shortage notification mail for the device 30 (Yes in S202), it is determined to transmit the shortage notification mail (S203). This is because the device 30 has never transmitted a shortage notification mail so far, and therefore there is no possibility of the shortage notification emails being duplicated.

  If the transmission history includes a shortage notification mail transmission record for the device 30 (No in S202), it is determined whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed from the transmission date and time of the last shortage notification mail transmitted. (S204). If the predetermined period has elapsed, it is determined that the shortage notification mail is transmitted (S203), and if it has not elapsed, it is determined that the shortage notification mail is not transmitted because there is a possibility of duplication (S205).

  In addition, although the example which determines based on progress of time was shown in FIG. 10, for example, if a total counter is recorded as a transmission history and the difference of the total counter is a predetermined threshold value or less, a shortage notification You may not send mail. Further, all the transmission history may be deleted every fixed time, and when the transmission history includes a transmission record of a shortage notification mail for the same device 30, the shortage notification mail may not be transmitted. .

  As described above, according to the ordering support system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention, convenience or benefit is provided to each of the user (customer), the seller, and the manufacturer of the device 30. be able to.

  That is, a shortage of supply of the device 30 is automatically detected, and a shortage notification mail is automatically transmitted to the user's terminal. As a result, the user can display the ordering page 260 by clicking on the URL described in the shortage notification mail, and can easily order the missing supplies simply by using the ordering page 260. Therefore, it is possible to save time and labor for the user himself / herself to specify a supply corresponding to the device 30 or to go to a mass sales store, and to reduce the procurement cost of the supply.

  Further, with respect to the seller, a part of the revenue from the supply can be acquired, and the revenue source can be expanded.

  In addition, for a manufacturer, it is possible to give an incentive to the seller to sell the manufacturer's device in preference to the device of the other manufacturer, or an incentive to the user to purchase the manufacturer's device. That is, when the supply sold through the order support system 1 is made by the manufacturer, the return rate is higher than when the other company's supply is sold, or when the supply is from another company's supply. If 0 is set to 0, the seller can enjoy more profits from selling the supply by selling the product of the manufacturer. In addition, the user can be expected to receive a detailed service such as being able to specify the color of the insufficient toner by purchasing the device of the manufacturer.

  Furthermore, the manufacturer can estimate the usage period of each device 30 to some extent by accumulating user device information. As a result, it is possible to effectively cooperate with new sales activities such as promotion of replacement by purchase.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the registration contract of the order support system 1 with the user is a trader who sells the device has been described as an example. However, the registration contract is not necessarily concluded with the user. The other party is not limited to the person who sold the device. Even if the device is not sold, the manufacturer may be given a seller ID in the ordering support system 1. In this case, the trader can receive a return of profits from the sale of the supply via the order support system 1 regardless of the sale of the device.

  As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was explained in full detail, this invention is not limited to the specific embodiment which concerns, In the range of the summary of this invention described in the claim, various deformation | transformation * It can be changed.

It is a figure showing an example of composition of an ordering support system in an embodiment of the invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process sequence of the process which a monitoring program performs a client PC. It is a sequence diagram for demonstrating the process sequence at the time of user registration in an order assistance system. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a user registration page. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a search apparatus list page. It is a sequence diagram for demonstrating the process sequence at the time of apparatus monitoring in an order assistance system. It is a figure which shows the structural example of lack notification information. It is a figure which shows the example of a notification mail. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of an order page. It is a figure for demonstrating the determination process of the right or wrong of transmission of a shortage notification mail.

Explanation of symbols

1 Order Support System 10 Order Support Server 11 Order Support Program 20 Client PC
21 Monitoring program 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d Device 40, 50 Network 501, 502 Recording medium

Claims (30)

Acquire device information and consumable status information of devices connected to the network, determine the shortage of consumables from the consumable status information, and device information and consumable status information regarding consumables determined to be insufficient And a device monitoring device that transmits to the ordering support device,
The device information and the status information relating to the consumables determined to be insufficient are received, an e-mail including a URL indicating a web page for ordering consumables related to the status information is created, and associated with the device in advance. An ordering support system comprising: the ordering support apparatus configured to transmit to a registered e-mail address. A device monitoring device that acquires device information of devices connected to the network and status information of consumables and transmits the information to the ordering support device;
The device information and the status information are received, a shortage of consumables is determined from the status information of the consumables, and a URL indicating a Web page for ordering consumables related to the consumables determined to be insufficient is described. An ordering support system comprising: the ordering support apparatus configured to create an e-mail and transmit the e-mail to a mail address registered in advance associated with the device. The order support system according to claim 1, wherein the consumable is a supply used for an image forming apparatus. The order support system according to claim 1, wherein the consumable is toner used in an image forming apparatus. The order support system according to claim 4, wherein the consumable status information includes qualitative information and quantitative information. The said order support apparatus returns the said web page according to the transmission request of the said web page transmitted based on URL described in the said electronic mail, The Claim 1 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. Ordering support system. The order support apparatus records information including the identification information of the device related to the email as the transmission history of the email, and the transmission date and time of the email,
In response to the reception of the status information, based on the transmission history, the presence or absence of transmission within a predetermined period of the email related to the same device,
The ordering support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electronic mail is not transmitted when the electronic mail related to the same device is transmitted within the predetermined period. The order support apparatus records information including device identification information related to the e-mail and information indicating the number of times of use of a predetermined function of the device included in the status information as the e-mail transmission history. And
In response to the reception of the status information, based on the transmission history, the presence / absence of transmission within a predetermined range of the change in the number of uses for the e-mail related to the same device is determined,
The ordering support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the electronic mail related to the same device is transmitted within the predetermined range, the electronic mail is not transmitted. The order support device stores a purchase history of the consumable for each user based on the consumable ordering request transmitted based on the Web page,
The Web page describing the purchase history of the user related to the transmission request is transmitted in response to a transmission request for the Web page transmitted based on the URL described in the e-mail. The ordering support system according to any one of 1 to 8. The order support apparatus is configured to provide profits based on the order request to a supplier registered in advance in association with the user related to the order request based on the order request for the consumables transmitted based on the Web page. 10. The ordering support system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein information for providing a part is recorded. The device monitoring device searches for a device connected to the device monitoring device via a network, selects a device to be monitored from the searched devices, and selects the device information and the device from the selected device. The order support system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein status information is acquired. The order support apparatus in the order support system as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 11. The apparatus monitoring apparatus in the order support system as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 11. An ordering support method executed by a computer,
Acquire device information and consumables status information of devices connected to the network, and device information and consumables related to consumables determined to be insufficient by the device monitoring device that determines the shortage of consumables from the consumable status information Status information receiving procedure for receiving product status information;
A mail sending procedure for creating an e-mail in which a URL indicating a Web page for ordering consumables according to the received status information is written, and sending the e-mail to a registered e-mail address associated in advance with the device; An ordering support method characterized by comprising: An ordering support method executed by a computer,
A status information receiving procedure for receiving the device information and the status information from a device monitoring apparatus that acquires device information of a device connected to the network and status information of consumables;
A shortage of consumables is determined from the received status information, and an e-mail including a URL indicating a Web page for ordering consumables related to the consumables determined to be short is created and stored in advance in the device. And an e-mail transmission procedure for transmitting to an e-mail address associated and registered. 16. The ordering support method according to claim 14, wherein the consumable is a supply used for an image forming apparatus. 16. The order support method according to claim 14, wherein the consumable is toner used in an image forming apparatus. The order support method according to claim 17, wherein the consumable status information includes qualitative information and quantitative information. 19. The Web page transmission procedure for returning the Web page in response to a transmission request for the Web page transmitted based on the URL described in the e-mail. Ordering support method. A transmission history recording procedure for recording, as a transmission history, information including the identification information of the device related to the email transmitted in the email transmission procedure, and the transmission date and time of the email,
In response to reception of the status information, based on the transmission history, it is determined whether or not the e-mail related to the same device is transmitted within a predetermined period, and the electronic device related to the same device is determined within the predetermined period. 20. The order support method according to claim 14, wherein the e-mail is not transmitted when an e-mail is transmitted. A transmission history record that records information including identification information of a device related to the electronic mail transmitted in the mail transmission procedure and information indicating the number of times of use of a predetermined function of the device included in the status information as a transmission history. Have procedures,
In response to reception of the status information, based on the transmission history, it is determined whether or not the change in the number of uses is within a predetermined range for the electronic mail related to the same device, and the same within the predetermined range. 20. The order support method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the electronic mail is not transmitted when the electronic mail related to the device is transmitted. A purchase history storing procedure for storing a purchase history of the consumables for each user based on the ordering request for the consumables transmitted based on the web page;
The Web page transmission procedure transmits the Web page in which the purchase history of the user related to the transmission request is described in response to a transmission request for the Web page transmitted based on the URL described in the e-mail. The ordering support method according to any one of claims 14 to 21, characterized in that Based on the consumable ordering request transmitted based on the web page, a part of the profit based on the ordering request is provided to a registered company associated in advance with the user related to the ordering request. 23. The ordering support method according to claim 14, wherein the information is recorded. A device monitoring method executed by a computer,
Status information acquisition procedure for acquiring device information of devices connected to the network and status information of consumables,
A determination procedure for determining the shortage of consumables from the status information of the consumables;
A device monitoring method, comprising: a state information device procedure for transmitting device information on consumables determined to be insufficient and state information of consumables to a predetermined computer. The apparatus monitoring method according to claim 24, wherein the consumable is a supply used in an image forming apparatus. 26. The order support system according to claim 24, wherein the consumable is toner used in an image forming apparatus. 27. The order support system according to claim 26, wherein the consumable status information includes qualitative information and quantitative information. A device search procedure for searching for devices connected via the network;
A monitoring target selection procedure for selecting a device to be monitored from the searched devices,
28. The device monitoring method according to claim 24, wherein the status information acquisition procedure acquires the device information and the status information from a device selected in the monitoring target selection procedure. A program for causing a computer to execute the ordering support method according to any one of claims 14 to 23. A program for causing a computer to execute the device monitoring method according to any one of claims 24 to 28.

Images